Gears of War 2
Gears of War 2 is a tactical third-person shooter video game in development by Epic Games and to be published by Microsoft Game Studios exclusively for the Xbox 360. It is the sequel to the critically acclaimed best-seller Gears of War, and was announced by lead designer Cliff Bleszinski during the 2008 Game Developers Conference on February 20, 2008. It is currently scheduled for release in November of 2008 and uses an updated version of the Unreal Engine 3.http://www.gametrailers.com/player/30824.html. Its slogan is "Hope Runs Deep." Also, a Gears of War 2 Zune is confirmed, having 120GB of memory, a laser-etched Crimson Omen, and is already filled with soundtracks, images, videos, etc. E3 2008 Trailer OBegies-IVg Gameplay The technical demo shown at the Game Developers Conference indicated that much of the core gameplay elements that were central to Gears of War (a third-person, "run and gun" style game that emphasizes the use of cover) would be present in the sequel. John DiMaggio, the voice actor of Marcus Fenix, confirmed to IGN that players would be able to fight Brumaks in Gears of War 2. He also revealed there will be a deeper story with new characters, new weapons, and new enemies.http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/855/855853p1.html The game will also include the ability for a player to duel with an AI or human opponent when both use the Chainsaw Bayonet attachment of the Lancer, as seen in the 2008 Game Developer's Conference promotional video, later confirmed in informal interviews with developers. . In Gears 2 the poor chap that is downed isn't as helpless as he was before. Now you can crawl around as a last desperate attempt for life. Rapidly tapping the A Button will help you crawl faster, but if you have a Grenade equipped when you're downed, you can press the right trigger to drop the grenade, and commit martyrdom. The grenade will still have a timer when you drop it, so it'll take a little more skill than just simply pressing the right trigger. Also, you cannot drop a grenade once the opponent has started an execution. In an interview with EGM in that same July issue, Cliffy said that Gears 2 is running roughly 30 percent better, in terms of performance than the first game. He also went on to say that, while the team did consider it, dedicated servers will not be allowed in Gears 2. Other little developer quips mentioned consider implementing a live-scoring icon on the screen that will show players how much damage they're causing as well as their score. A.I. bots were apparently also hinted at. You'll no longer be booted from a game if the host jumps out; you'll simply all vote on a new map to play. Other little additions include the ability to "wall hug" and interrupting SWAT turns mid-move. Lancer Assault Rifle]] A Button -- Causes you to grab the downed opponent and use them as a meat shield. They'll be dead as far as the game is concerned but their body will still be in your hands, getting blown to bits with enemy fire, shieing you from it until their body is completely destroyed and un-useable. While holding the corpse, you can only use your pistol. The B Button -- This is your standard melee attack but in Gears 2, you will lift your Lancer Assault Rifle in the air, and you will use your saw to go through the enemy's shoulders or neck. Each B button execution is weapon specific, although most are similar, your character generally lifts his weapon and brings it down on your downed opponent's back, although if you're carrying a Gnasher Shotgun, then you'l spin the gun, holding it by the barrel and swing it like a golf club popping your enemys head. The X Button -- The classic, and oh-so-juicy curb stomp. In Gears 2 you flip them onto their back first, then you brutally slam your foot down on their face, shattering and squishing it. The Y Button -- The fancy finishes are governed by the Y button. Although be warned, you are vulnerable during these executions, so choose wisely when you want to use them. These executions are weapon specific, as far as i know, the only weapons that have these special executions, the first being the Longshot Sniper Rifle, when your opponent is downed, your character swings the Longshot round now holding it by the barrel, swings it over his head, and brings it down on your opponents back. The second being the Torque Bow, your character hooks the bow around your opponents neck, and then kicks his body decapitating him. The third is the Boltok Pistol, your character spins the Boltok in his hand so he's holding it by the barrel, then harshly smashes the butt of the gun down on his head, and does a fancy spin and re-holsters it. The last (i know of) is the Boom Shield where your character grabs the shield with two hands, and brings the shield crashing down on them. Plot With the COG army continuing to lose large numbers to Locust raids, the COG plan a counter-attack against the Locust by sending troops in Grindlifts deep below the surface to attack the home of the Locust, the Hollow. Though they suffer losses due to the leader of the Kantus, Skorge, the human forces continue their plan. After their descent, Delta Squad, consisting of Marcus Fenix, Dominic "Dom" Santiago and Benjamin Carmine, later joined by Augustus Cole, begin to search the Hollow and discover that the Locust are taking prisoners after they rescue Damon Baird from imprisonment. Delta Squad finds another imprisoned squad member, Tai Kaliso, who has suffered wounds inflicted by the Locust while torturing him. Though Marcus tries to arm Tai for a fight, Tai instead commits suicide, the emotional trauma too much for him to bear. Marcus is horrified and recovers tai's COG Tags. Delta Squad continues to search the Hollow and discovers that the Locust are using the giant Riftworm to eat away at the rock structures at the outskirts of Jacinto in hopes of sinking it. They try to evacuate, but are swallowed by the Riftworm. The squad manages to kill the worm from the inside, but Carmine is badly wounded by parasites and dies after asking Marcus to let his family know he loves them. Marcus collects his COG tags and a letter to his eldest brother, Clay Carmine. Delta Squad manages to escape to the surface, only to be given orders to investigate a nearby abandoned COG outpost: the New Hope Research Facility. There they learn of a back door entrance to the Hollow in the nearby Kadar Mountains. The team fights its way to the caverns in a Centaur tank, and discovers that some Stranded have taken shelter near the mouth of the caverns. Marcus orders Cole and Baird to evacuate the Stranded while he and Dom search further. They find more prisoner cages, and Dom convinces Marcus to help him seek his wife, Maria Santiago. They manage to find her, but the Locust torture has left her too traumatized and unable to communicate, and Dom chooses to euthanize her. Marcus and Dom continue to make their assault on Nexus, the Locust capital, and are soon joined by more Gears from the surface, including Cole and Baird. With this added support, Delta Squad is able to break through the Locust Queen's defenses. They discover that the Locust have messages from Adam Fenix, Marcus' father, that suggest that the Hollow can be destroyed by sinking Jacinto, which would flood the Hollow and thereby kill the Locust. They also discover that the Lambent (Locusts infected by Imulsion) are attempting to overthrow the Locust Queen, but she plans to escape to the surface and sink Jacinto to wipe out the Lambent. After briefly meeting this Locust Queen, Marcus realizes that the humans must sink Jacinto before the Locust escape to the surface. Delta Squad escapes the Hollow on a pair of Reavers, defeating Skorge and his Hydra, and returns to Jacinto, where a mass evacuation is occurring. The COG plan to sink Jacinto using a Lightmass bomb, and Delta Squad is ordered to open a hole into the Hollow so that a King Raven can transport the bomb into the Hollow. Marcus orders Cole and Baird to assist with the bomb, while he and Dom hijack a Brumak and use it to fight their way through the Hollow. Using the Brumak, they are able to open a hole into the Hollow, but as the Ravens arrive the Brumak begins to mutate because of Imulsion exposure. After the Raven carrying the Lightmass bomb goes down, Marcus uses the Hammer of Dawn to kill the Brumak, which explodes and takes out the last supporting structures of Jacinto, sinking it and flooding the Hollow. As the COG forces evacuate, the Locust Queen talks about "unintended legacies". After the credits, a transmission from Adam Fenix can be heard, asking the COG, "What have you done?". Multiplayer Features/Abilities Battle-Cam -- Okay, we have to say, this is totally one of those "in no way-shape-or-form do we need this, but it's still really "cool" features. The Battle-Cam allows players who have slipped into the after-life (been killed) to take a screenshot with the B-button of the most frenetic action that they can find. Do that, and the game will register all of the blood and executions -- everything including the amount of particle effects on-screen -- and spit out a score which is then uploaded, along with your screenshot, to the leaderboards for the world to see. We told you it was cool.Executions New Maps New maps included in Gears of War 2 include the following. *Avalanche *Security *River *Blood Drive *Pavilion *Stasis *Hail *Ruins *Day One *Jacinto In addition to the new maps, five original Gears of War maps will return, called the "Flashback Map Pack". These maps include Canals,Gridlock,Mansion,Subway and Tyro Station. These maps will be included in the Map Pack for download on the day the game is released using a special code if you buy a new copy the game, to try to stop people from buying used copies. Game Modes Horde A new gameplay mode has been added to add more offline gameplay (athough it can also be played online). It can also be played online with up to five players as you take on wave after wave of the locust horde. There are 50 waves of horde, each increasing in difficulty, for example, the first wave will start with very few locust to kill, around 9 which are likely to be a few wretches and drones. Although as you progress through the waves, the larger enemies appear and there are more of them, there will be many more boomers, grinders, bloodmounts, maulers, butchers, kantus, flame grenadiers and so on. This game type is incredibly difficult, even on the casual the last 10 waves are quite challenging. There is a 30 point achievement for completing all waves on any difficulty. Meatflag/Submission This is a variant on classic Capture-the-Flag but instead of having an inanimate object sitting in the center of a stage waiting to be captured, Gears 2 will have a mean, gun-firing, AI-controlled Stranded sitting there waiting to do battle (he'll even tally his own score to be seen by all at the end of a round). Do enough damage to take him down to his knees and then run up, use him as a meat shield and haul his carcass back to your base to score the point for your team. Just remember, there's nothing more humiliating than getting killed by the flag Wingman Here the ten possible players (up from the original game's eight) are broken up into sets of 2. Each pair will share the same character model, and you'll have to hunt throughout the map to kill as much of the opposition as possible before landing at a final kill count. Like free-for-all, but with a partner to work with. Guardian One man on your team is the leader, the rest are his hapless peons. Okay, not really. But one player is the leader and if he dies, then the ability to respawn is taken from his teammates, turning their current life into their last. The leader is called out on the opponent's screen at all times, making the hunt that much easier. First team to wipe out the other wins. Warzone The standard Team Deathmatch mode of GoW2. Warzone is a battle between two teams for a set amount of points at the end of each match, by eliminating the opposing team each round. A point is awarded to the surviving team after the round. Players can be downed and killed from any distance with any weapon. Execution Similiar to Warzone in that the teams compete for the most amount of points by eliminating the other team in each round. The only difference is that players can only be killed by one shot kills such as torque bow, frag grenades, boomshot, or headshots, or by being downed and executed at close range, either by bullets, melee, or an execution attack. Characters Returning characters will include Marcus Fenix,Dominic Santiago, and others from the first game, as well as Cole and Baird. Lead designer Cliff Bleszinski has also confirmed that the character Carmine will be returning, it was revealed that instead of the original Carmine appearing, his brother Benjamin Carmine will have a large role in the game. The game will also introduce several new characters; among these are Chairman Prescott, the near dictatorial military leader of COG, Tai Kaliso, "a spiritual and meditative warrior from a tradition of honor bound fighters," and Dizzy, a former Stranded who joined the COG in order to keep his family safe, and Benjamin Carmine, the brother of Anthony Carmine. Dominic's wife Maria will also make an appearance, and Dominic's search for her will play an important part in the story. List of Locust characters on Gears of War 2 * Bloodmount * Boomers * Butchers * Grinders * Maulers * Brumaks * Corpsers * Drones * Grenadiers * Kantus * Lambent * Nemacysts * Reavers * Rock Worms * Snipers * Ticker * Wretches * Skorge *Rift Worm *Cyclops *Seeders *Beserker *Beast Barge *Nemacyte *kryll *RAAM (multiplayer only) COG Arsenal * Smoke Grenade -- These are now home to a concussion blast that will knock a shield out of someone's hand while disabling their sight and overall equilibrium. Any of the grenade types in the game can also be stuck on walls and will act as proximity mines * Snub Pistol * Lancer Assault Rifle -- You've heard this before, this armament from the original now has a tie-breaker for chainsaw kills. Mashing the B-button as fast as you can could lead to three outcomes. First, you win and slice through your opponent. Second, you lose and meet the same fate. (Or third, there's an improbable tie and you both step back to go at it again) * Gnasher Shotgun * Frag Grenade * Mulcher * Mortar * Scorcher Flamethrower -- This will appear only once on a multiplayer map. It benefits from a longer range if you can hit the active reload perfectly and will glow red when it's ready to bring death to the masses. * Longshot Sniper Rifle * Hammer of Dawn Locust Armory * Boltok Pistol -- This sucker is back from Gears 1 and now has a quicker rate of fire after an active reload. * Gorgon Burst Pistol -- Faster rate of fire than other pistols and shoots in short bursts. * Boomshield -- This shield (which maulers seem to usually favor) can be chucked into the ground beneath you and used as stationary cover. Of course, you can also carry it around and use it in conjunction with a pistol. * Troika Heavy Machine Gun * Ink Grenade -- Spews a nasty dark green haze that brings down everyone in its path. * Torque Bow a strong bow which shoots forth Imulsion tipped arrow's.. * Boomshot Grenade Launcher * Hammerburst Assault Rifle -- This Locust rifle from the first Gears is back and can now fire with higher accuracy at longer ranges and does more damage. Players can also fire with a fan method (holding and releasing the right trigger) that will allow for a quicker rate of fire at the expense of accuracy. Development GDC Unreal Tech demo At the GDC (Game Developers Conference) 2008, Epic Games, creator of Gears of War and Gears of War 2 showcased a tech demo in which they demonstrated new features of the Unreal Engine in Gears of War. These new features included Ambient Occlusion Technology (that vastly improves the lighting effects in the game), Dynamic Water Effect Technology (that creates more life-like looking water both in the way it looks and in the way it reacts to movement), Improved "Matinee" System (that is used to create in game cinematics), Soft Body Physics Technology (which improves textures for different substances in the engine, in the demo a large piece of flesh was shown that reacted very realistically to the player) and destructible environments. One of the most marked features to be showcased was the introduction of High Density Crowds which saw literally hundreds of locusts running through the Gridlock map from the original Gears of War. The introduction of this technology could allow larger battles in Gears of War 2, as well as larger multiplayer games. Vehicles The only known vehicles to take place in this game are Derricks, the Centaur Tank and King Ravens. During the E3 trailer, it was hinted at that the player may be able to ride a Brumak and a reaver. This was found to be true during campaign gameplay. The player rides a reaver during the end of act 4, and a brumak at the end of act 5. The complete list of vehicles on the official site are: * APC * Assault Derrick * Centaur Tank * Junker * King Raven Pre-release marketing XBL Marketplace content On February 20 2008, coinciding with the game's official announcement at the Game Developers Conference, free gamer pictures ("Crimson Picture Pack") and a dashboard theme ("Bare Your Teeth"), as well as a teaser trailer, titled "Duel" (not available in all regions), were made available via the Xbox Live Marketplace. msn.com partnered with experiencecommerce.com to released a Facebook application to practice the game. Limited Edition The Limited Edition copy of Gears of War 2 [ Retail Price around £50/$70 ] contains: - A copy Of The Game. - A Bonus Disk containing videos, unlockable gamerpics, and samples of music from the game. - A Keepsake photo of Dom and his wife Maria. - A code for the Golden Lancer Assault Rifle, available only to people who have purchased the limited edition. - A Steelbook case. - A 48 Page hardback book containing artwork from gears of war 2 and a foreword by design director Cliff Bleszinski. External links *GearsofWar.com *[http://www.gametrailers.com/game/6236.html Gears of War 2 "Duel" trailer] at GameTrailers *Unreal Engine Tech Demo *Gears of War 2 Gameplay & Info *Gears of War 2 E3 Trailer *[http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=30551343883 Play Gears of War 2] at Facebook Category:Games